STCC to offer ‘fast track’ Computer & IT Security program
Students in the IT lab at STCC. Front row: Samuel Yuzefovich, left, of West Springfield, and Dalton Drummond, of Agawam. Back row: Brayden Quinn, of Chicopee, and Aisha Minto, of Springfield.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College will offer a “fast track” Computer & IT Security Certificate designed for workers who may have some background in information technology but no credentials.
The accelerated program, which runs Sept. 12 through April 28, condenses a year and a half of study (three semesters) into eight months (two semesters). Students will earn 27 college credits over nine 3-week-long courses which provide intense focus for faster completion.
Students can apply the 27 college credits directly to an associate degree in Computer & IT Security. After receiving the certificate, they can take additional courses at STCC for another year to earn their degree.
STCC will hold an information session on Thursday, June 22, to meet with prospective students about the new fast track certificate program. The session will be held at Scibelli Hall (Building 2), Room 317, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The Computer & IT Security program trains students to protect a company’s IT assets such as infrastructure and data from being compromised, stolen, changed or intruded upon.
The fast track Computer & IT Security Certificate could make students eligible for positions such as a computer Help Desk technician, security specialist, a network administrator or a data security administrator, said Brian Candido, professor and program chair for STCC’s Computer Information Technologies program.
I came in here with no IT experience whatsoever. When I leave here, I feel like I can get a job with most companies doing anything in networking. The knowledge I learned here was very good.Brayden Quinn, STCC student
“Classes run evenings and Saturdays, which makes this fast track program ideal for people who work during the day,” Candido said. “This program is geared toward someone who may have some exposure to technology, but never got any formal training or college credits.”
Class times are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. An online component also is part of the curriculum. The nine courses comprising the program are Windows 1, UNIX 1, Networks 1, Networks 2, Internet Security 1, Windows 2, Internet Security 2, Advanced Security Topics and Networks 3.
To be eligible for the program, students must either take CIT-101 CIT Foundations over the summer or pass the CIT-101 Challenge Exam. A Windows-based laptop is required.
IT security continues to be a high-demand field with growth expected over the next 10 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Brayden Quinn, of Chicopee, a second-year STCC student in the regular Computer & IT Security degree program, will graduate this spring.
“I came in here with no IT experience whatsoever,” Quinn said. “When I leave here, I feel like I can get a job with most companies doing anything in networking. The knowledge I learned here was very good.”
Another student, Samuel Yuzefovich, of West Springfield, praised the quality of the instructors at STCC.
“I’d say the best thing about this program is the professors. They’re welcoming,” Yuzefovich said. “You don’t feel like you’re judged. They’re always willing to help you.”
Student Dalton Drummond, of Agawam, added: “They give you real life examples because they’ve all been in the field and have been successful in the field. They give you real life situations that help you out.”
Student Aisha Minto, of Springfield, called the program rewarding.
“I love it,” she said. “There’s a very strong support system. It helps you build confidence and reflects your initiative to go further.”
For more information, contact STCC Admissions at (413) 755-3333 or visit stcc.edu/apply.
About Springfield Technical Community College
Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of Western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC, an Achieving the Dream Leader College, offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical options for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of more than 8,500 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.
For more information about STCC, visit www.stcc.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@S_T_C_C).
Media Contact:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu